The rooms devoted to the tomb of Tutankhamun inside the Egyptian Art Museum in Cairo are an exemplary laboratory in which to observe a wide range of relationships visitors have with artifacts: from the most expeditious visit to the most meticulous investigation. This article shows how the funerary furniture of the Pharaoh has been carefully cultivated as a mystery to be deciphered and how from its excavation by Howard Carter to its display inside the museum, the enigma of Tutankhamun has taken unexpected forms, giving us a remarkable opportunity to think about the anthropological implications of assisted curiosity.
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